Stereoscopic image display device

Abstract

To provide a stereoscopic image display device to be mounted on the head, which uses one optical deflector but has no movable part and suppresses visual fatigue due to mismatch between convergence and regulation while achieving high definition.SOLUTION: The display device according to one aspect of disclosed technique is a stereoscopic image display device comprising a light source, a lens and an optical deflector. The optical deflector includes a plurality of optical deflection elements each of which is a mirror device inclined in a common two axial four-direction. The optical deflector performs optical deflection in a four-direction and emits reflectance in four directions different from each other by the optical deflection. The reflectance in two or three directions of the four forms images and the images formed in the respective directions are guided to the same plane by a lens. The image formed in the respective directions have focal points at respective positions in depth of an eye of an observer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a stereoscopic image display device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, head-mounted displays have become one of the methods for displaying 3D images. To achieve stereoscopic vision, head-mounted displays present images with parallax to the viewer's left and right eyes. However, this method is said to cause a problem known as VR sickness, a type of motion sickness similar to motion sickness. Humans typically view 3D objects by integrating both depth perception through binocular parallax and depth perception through monocular focus adjustment. However, the stereoscopic vision of conventional head-mounted displays only achieves depth perception (convergence) through binocular parallax. While head-mounted displays project images as virtual images several meters ahead, VR and AR applications often display 3D images in the immediate vicinity. In conventional head-mounted displays, the image projection position is fixed on the display itself, resulting in a significant difference from the displayed position of the 3D image. While the human eye attempts to focus on an object floating in the air, focusing on the object is difficult because the display itself is focused. This is due to the lack of depth perception through monocular focus adjustment. This makes it difficult to perceive natural 3D images due to insufficient accommodation, and induces visual fatigue caused by a mismatch between convergence and accommodation, known as VR sickness. Methods to resolve this visual fatigue include holography technology, light field displays, devices using variable focal length lenses, and multifocal plane displays. These solve the above problem by displaying images with multiple focal positions to the observer's eyeballs.

[0003] Holography technology requires miniaturization of the pixel pitch of spatial light modulators (i.e., the optical deflection device referred to in this invention) to approximately 1 micrometer, but this has not yet reached a practical level. On the other hand, light field display technology results in low resolution because its resolution depends not on the number of pixels but on the number of lenses placed in front of the pixels. Patent Document 1 is an example of a device using a variable focal length lens. Patent Document 1, an example of prior art that solves the above-mentioned problem of visual fatigue, discloses a device that includes a spatial light modulator with multiple pixels arranged in a matrix, a lens unit with a variable focal length, and a block light source unit that switches on or off multiple areas arranged in a matrix in synchronization with the change in the focal length of the lens unit, thereby sequentially lighting each of the multiple areas. This device achieves stereoscopic viewing by sequentially displaying multiple stereoscopic display images with different focal lengths within one frame.

[0004] Next, we will introduce another prior art, Patent Document 2. Patent Document 2 relates to a light field display that allows many people to view stereoscopic images with the naked eye, rather than using an eyepiece system such as a head-mounted display. The light field display includes a light source, a projection lens, a first digital micromirror device including multiple pixels along an optical path from the light source to the projection lens, and a second digital micromirror device along the optical path between the first digital micromirror device and the projection lens. The second digital micromirror device is configured to reflect the modulated light pattern generated by the first digital micromirror device toward the projection lens at a different angular direction. An imaging lens disposed between the first digital micromirror device and the second digital micromirror device images multiple pixels of the first digital micromirror device onto each pixel of the second digital micromirror device according to a magnification ratio. In Patent Document 2, the pixels of the first digital micromirror device first serve as image pixels, and the imaging lens effectively maps the pixels of the first digital micromirror device onto the second digital micromirror device. The second digital micromirror device is configured to project images in slightly different angular directions as each pixel rotates through its angular range, thereby providing an image with multiple focal positions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Published Patent Application No. 2023-94080 [Patent Document 2] Publication Patent Publication Patent No. 7227224 [Patent Document 3] Published patent publication Patent No. 4688130 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, according to the technology of Patent Document 1, although only one spatial light modulator is required, a variable focal length lens synchronized with the operation of the modulator and one block light source unit that functions by sequentially lighting up each of the multiple areas are required, and since it has moving parts, the control is complex, and the configuration is expensive and large.

[0007] Furthermore, with the technology of Patent Document 2, the resolution is reduced because the multiple pixels of the first digital micromirror device are each responsible for an image at a different focal position. Furthermore, two digital micromirror devices are required, and the operation of the first digital micromirror device must be synchronized with the operation of the second digital micromirror device, which again requires complex control and results in an expensive and large configuration.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and particularly relates to technology for displaying images (including videos) close to the eyeballs on head-mounted displays, etc., and aims to display three-dimensional images while suppressing visual fatigue caused by a mismatch between convergence and accommodation by using a single optical deflection device on a single eyeball to display images with multiple focal positions in time sequence within one frame time, without using lenses with moving parts or multiple optical deflection devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] One aspect of the present invention that achieves the above-mentioned object is a stereoscopic image display device comprising a light source, a lens, and an optical deflection device, wherein the optical deflection device has a plurality of optical deflection elements, each of which is a mirror device tilted in four directions along two common axes, the optical deflection device deflects light in four directions, the optical deflection causes reflected light to be emitted in four different directions, and two or three of the reflected light directions form images in the respective directions, the images formed in the respective directions are guided to the same plane by a lens, and the images formed in the respective directions have focal points at different positions in the depth of the observer's eyeball.

[0010] In one aspect of the present invention, in the above configuration, the optical deflection element has a substrate, a fulcrum member, a plurality of regulating members, a plate-shaped member, and a plurality of electrodes, the fulcrum member has a top and is provided on the upper surface of the substrate, each of the regulating members has a stopper at the top and is provided on an end of the plate-shaped member, the plate-shaped member has a light-reflecting surface and a conductive portion, is supported by the fulcrum member by one surface of the plate-shaped member contacting the top, has no fixed end, and is movable within a range determined by the substrate and the regulating member, each of the electrodes is provided on the substrate opposite the conductive portion of the plate-shaped member, and the electrostatic attraction generated between the conductive portion and the electrode causes the plate-shaped member to tilt around the top as a fulcrum, thereby deflecting light reflected by the light-reflecting surface, [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] In a head-mounted display or light field near-eye display placed in front of the eyes, two or three images with different focal positions are displayed in time sequential order, and each image is formed at a different position in the depth of the observer's eyeball using an individual lens.By displaying multi-focal images to a single eye using two or three focal images in time sequential order within one frame time, it is possible to display a three-dimensional image while suppressing visual fatigue caused by a mismatch between convergence and accommodation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the configuration of a stereoscopic image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Conceptual diagram of a stereoscopic image display device according to the present embodiment worn on the head [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of a two-dimensional array of an optical deflection device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the optical deflection operation of the optical deflector element according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] Relationship between light deflection direction and driving voltage in the second embodiment [Figure 6] Creation of each image in the third embodiment [Figure 7] Synthesized multi-focal image in the third embodiment [Figure 8] An example of dividing the display time of each focused image within one frame time in the third embodiment DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and the components in the following embodiments include those that would be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the scope of what is called equivalents. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the following embodiments.

[0014] [3D image display device according to this embodiment] A stereoscopic image display device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a stereoscopic image display device 101 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 1, in the stereoscopic image display device 101, light emitted from a light source 102 is reflected by a reflecting mirror 103 and enters an optical deflection device 104. The optical deflection devices 104 are mirror devices that tilt in four directions along two common axes. The optical deflection devices deflect light in four directions indicated by dotted-line frames a to d, and the reflected light is reflected in four different directions. Of these, the three reflected light directions indicated by dotted-line frames a to c are assigned to the three ON directions of the optical deflection elements that make up the optical deflection device 104. On the other hand, the reflected light direction indicated by dotted-line frame d is assigned to the OFF direction of the optical deflection elements that make up the optical deflection device 104.

[0015] Within one frame time, ON / OFF operation in directions a and d, ON / OFF operation in directions b and d, and ON / OFF operation in directions c and d are performed in time sequence, forming an image in directions a to c. The image formed by the ON operation light reflected in directions a to c is guided to the same dotted-line frame e by lenses 105a, 105b, and 105c, and the image light is emitted toward the eyeball 009 by lens 106 placed in dotted-line frame e. On the other hand, the reflected light of the OFF operation reflected in direction d is incident on light-absorbing plate 010 and absorbed.

[0016] The light emitted by the lens 106 passes through the pupil 108 and enters the eyeball 009, and the images formed in the directions a to c are focused with focal points 107a, 107b, and 107c at different depth positions.

[0017] In the conceptual diagram of the present invention shown in Figure 1, images formed in the directions a to c are collected on the same plane e and emitted to the eyeball, but the number of pixels of the images formed in the directions a to c and the image arranged at e are each equal to the number of pixels of the optical deflection elements that make up the optical deflection device 104, so it is possible to form a high-definition image on the eyeball 109. In other words, unlike conventional light field displays, it is possible to provide a high-definition image to the observer.

[0018] The optical deflection device 104 utilized in the present invention is the optical deflection device described in Patent Document 3, which was previously invented by the present inventor, and it has been described in Patent Document 3 that it deflects light in two axial directions with incident light from one direction and has reflected light in four directions. The present invention is characterized by improving the viewer's visual fatigue by using different lenses to focus the reflected light in two or three directions at different depths and displaying them on the same screen.

[0019] [Conceptual diagram of wearing the stereoscopic image display device according to the present embodiment on the head] FIG. 2 shows a conceptual diagram of a head-mounted stereoscopic image display device according to this embodiment. The present invention is particularly effective as a head-mounted stereoscopic image display device. Generally, a light field display needs to display images with several dozen or more focal positions to provide stereoscopic vision to observers at multiple positions with the naked eye. However, a head-mounted light field near-eye display displays images to predetermined eyeballs, so only two or three images with different focal positions are required. Prior art has attempted to provide images with different focal positions by using a variable focal length lens, switching between multiple light sources, or using two digital micromirror devices. However, as mentioned above, these methods inevitably require complex control, are expensive, and require large configurations, making them unsuitable for a head-mounted stereoscopic image display device. FIG. 2(a) shows a configuration in which an image from a stereoscopic image display device 101 is displayed directly on the eyeball 109. Three images are incident through the pupil 108 and focused at different focal positions 107a, 107b, and 107c, thereby alleviating the observer's visual fatigue and enabling easy stereoscopic viewing. Reference numeral 201 denotes a fixing member for the stereoscopic image display device, which is attached to the head. FIG. 2(b) shows a configuration in which an image from the stereoscopic image display device 101 is displayed on the eyeball 109 through the eyeglasses 203 using an eyeglass frame 202 and eyeglass lenses 203. An image from the stereoscopic image display device 101 mounted on the eyeglass frame 202 enters the edge of the eyeglass lens 203, undergoes repeated refraction, and is emitted toward the eyeball 109 from an HOE (holographic optical element) 204. Three different images that enter the eyeball 109 through the pupil 108 are focused at focal positions 107a, 107b, and 107c, respectively. In FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 2(b), images having different focal positions are incident on the eyeballs almost simultaneously, thereby alleviating the observer's visual fatigue and enabling easy stereoscopic viewing.

[0020] Although three differently focused images are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the number may be two.

[0021] [Light deflection device according to this embodiment] Next, we will explain the optical deflection device, an important component of the present invention. Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of a two-dimensional array of an optical deflection device in a first embodiment. Figure 3(a) is a perspective view of a two-dimensional array 301 of 5 x 5 optical deflection elements. Figure 3(b) is a perspective view of the two-dimensional array 301, omitting the plate-shaped mirror of the central optical deflection element. Each optical deflection element in Figures 3(a) and 3(b) corresponds to a single optical deflection element 310, as enclosed by a dotted line frame. In Figures 3(a) and 3(b), each optical deflection element 310 deflects light in four directions along two common axes based on individual image information. Figure 3(c) is an enlarged view of the area around the optical deflection element located at the center of Figure 3(b). The components of the optical deflection element will be explained based on this Figure 3(c). Note that the number of optical deflection elements, 5 x 5, is stated for ease of understanding; in reality, it is expected that there may be more than one million.

[0022] In FIG. 3(c), the optical deflection element 310 includes a substrate 302, a regulating member 307, a stopper 308, a fulcrum member 304, a plate-shaped member 306, an electrode 303, and a contact portion 305. The substrate 302 is a silicon semiconductor substrate. Using materials commonly used in semiconductor and liquid crystal processes, such as silicon and glass, enables the structure to be miniaturized. Furthermore, by forming the substrate from a silicon substrate with a (100) plane orientation, it can be formed on the same substrate as the drive circuit, enabling simple and low-cost manufacturing. The regulating member 307 and the stopper 308 limit the movable range of the plate-shaped member 306, which has a light-reflecting surface, to a predetermined space. For example, one regulating member 307 is composed of two cylindrical members, with a stopper 308 attached to the top. These are arranged at positions corresponding to the four corners of the rectangular plate-shaped member 306, spaced a predetermined distance apart. The stoppers 308 restrict the upward movement range of the plate-shaped member 306 by restricting the plate-shaped member 306 from above. The restricting members 307 and stoppers 308 may be made of an insulating film such as a silicon oxide film, or may be made to have the same potential as the plate-shaped member by using a conductive film. The number and arrangement of the restricting members 307 and stoppers 308 are not limited to those described above, and they may be formed in any position as long as the plate-shaped member 306 can move freely without disappearing.

[0023] The plate-shaped member 306 is a member formed of a thin film of aluminum or other material with high reflectivity. The upper surface of the plate-shaped member 306 functions as a light-reflecting surface. The plate-shaped member 306 is supported in contact with the top of the fulcrum member 304 and can tilt and move around this top as a fulcrum. The plate-shaped member 306 also has a conductive portion at least in part. The plate-shaped member 306 may be made of a conductor. When a voltage is applied to the electrode 303, electrostatic attraction occurs between the electrode 303 and the conductive portion of the plate-shaped member 306, causing the plate-shaped member 306 to tilt. As described above, the movable range of the plate-shaped member 306 is limited upward by the restricting member 307 and the stopper 308 and downward by the contact portion 305. The plate-shaped member 306 is formed of a thin film and is lightweight. This reduces the impact when it collides with the contact portion 305, the restricting member 307, or the stopper 308.

[0024] The fulcrum members 304 are cone-shaped members provided on the upper surface of the substrate 302. The apex of the cone acts as a fulcrum for tilting the plate-shaped member 306. The fulcrum members 304 are formed, for example, from a silicon oxide film or a silicon nitride film. However, if a potential is applied to the plate-shaped member 306 through the fulcrum members 304, they must be formed from a conductive material such as a metal film. The tilt angle of the plate-shaped member 306 is determined by the height of the fulcrum members 304 and the size of the plate-shaped member 306. The deflection direction of light incident on the plate-shaped member 306 can be determined by the angle of incidence of light incident on the plate-shaped member 306 and the tilt angle of the plate-shaped member 306. The contact portions 305 are provided on the substrate 302 and are portions that come into contact with the edge of the plate-shaped member 306 when the plate-shaped member 306 is tilted.

[0025] The optical deflection element 310 described above can be manufactured, for example, by a silicon semiconductor manufacturing process, and an optical deflection element array can be manufactured by arranging optical deflection elements two-dimensionally. Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and includes various modifications in which components are added, deleted, or converted from the above-described configuration. The size of the plate-like member 306 may be determined arbitrarily, taking into consideration the size of the final optical deflection device and the number of optical deflection elements to be provided therein.

[0026] [Light Deflection Operation of the Light Deflection Element According to the Present Embodiment] Next, the optical deflection operation of the optical deflector element in the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a modeled perspective view 401 of one optical deflector element, and Fig. 5 is a modeled top view 501 corresponding to the optical deflector element, with plate-like member 306 depicted semi-transparently. Fig. 4 shows tilts to the left and right, and up and down, and Fig. 5 shows the state of voltage application to electrode 303 to achieve this.

[0027] Figures 4(a) and 5(a) show the state of light deflection when tilted to the left on the page. Electrode 303 on substrate 302 is divided into A, B, C, and D. A conductor is formed on the top of fulcrum member 304, to which zero voltage is constantly applied. Note that the units of voltage are omitted. Plate-shaped member 306 contacts fulcrum member 304 and zero voltage is applied. When V is applied to electrodes A and B and zero voltage is applied to electrodes C and D, electrostatic attraction occurs between electrodes A and B in plate-shaped member 306, causing it to tilt to the left on the page. This causes the plate-shaped member 306 to tilt to the left as indicated by the white arrow in Figure 5(a), and the light is deflected to the left as indicated by the black arrow in Figure 4(a). Note that as the plate-shaped member 306 tilts, it comes into contact with contact portion 305 and regulating member 307, completing the tilt. At this time, the stopper 308 functions to prevent the plate-like member 306 from jumping out.

[0028] The above behavior shows the optical deflection element tilting to the left in one of four directions along two axes. Similar behavior is observed when tilted to the right in Figures 4(b) and 5(b), when tilted upward in Figures 4(c) and 5(c), and when tilted downward in Figures 4(d) and 5(d). In this case, when tilted to the right in Figure 4(b), V is applied to electrodes C and D and zero is applied to electrodes A and B. When tilted upward in Figure 4(c), V is applied to electrodes A and C and zero is applied to electrodes B and D. When tilted downward in Figure 4(d), V is applied to electrodes B and D and zero is applied to electrodes A and C. The potential of plate-like member 306 is always zero via fulcrum member 304, but if plate-like member 306 separates from fulcrum member 304 when tilted, the potential of plate-like member 306 will be floating. However, since the electric fields of electrodes A, B, C, and D will give the plate-like member 306 a potential of approximately V / 2, plate-like member 306 will be attracted to electrode 303 and will come into contact with fulcrum member 304, and the potential will immediately become zero, causing no operational problems.

[0029] Each of the optical deflection elements operates on / off based on its own image information, but as can be seen in Figures 4 and 5, all elements are tilted in four directions along two common axes. Therefore, the optical deflection device can form three images along three common directions, with the remaining direction being the OFF direction, allowing the light-absorbing plate to absorb light. By configuring each of the images in the three directions to have a focal point at a different depth using lenses positioned separately, it becomes possible to display a three-dimensional image that suppresses VR fatigue, which is the objective of this invention.

[0030] In addition, in the above-mentioned FIGS. 4 and 5, the reflected light is described as being left, right, top and bottom, but this is merely for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0031] [Multifocal image formation according to this embodiment] Next, a schematic diagram of three images formed by one optical deflection device in a third embodiment will be shown in FIG. 6 to explain the formation of three images in three directions. In the schematic diagram 601 in FIG. 6, assume that incident light 602 is incident on the mirror surface of the optical deflection device 104 from the substrate normal direction. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the plate-shaped mirrors of each optical deflection element are tilted in four directions according to the image information, forming three images f, g, and h. Unwanted light is absorbed by the light-absorbing plate i. Depending on the size of the optical deflection device 104, reflected light in the four directions is formed in the rectangular frames f and i and the dotted rectangular frames g and h. For example, in the third embodiment, f can be a background image, and g and h can be different images, e.g., an equilateral triangle can be displayed in g and a circle can be displayed in h. In the third embodiment, f, g, and h are images that do not overlap, but overlapping does not pose a problem.

[0032] FIG. 7 shows an image obtained by combining the three images created in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 7(a) is a schematic diagram 701 in which the three images f, g, and h formed in FIG. 6 are combined on the same plane, and is equivalent to FIG. 1(e). At this time, after the three images f, g, and h are formed, they are converted into images with different focal positions by lenses arranged corresponding to each image. FIG. 7(b) is a schematic diagram of the image 701 passing through the pupil 108 and entering the eyeball 109, showing that the three images f, g, and h are formed, i.e., focused, at different depths.

[0033] Finally, Figure 8 shows an example of how the display time of each focused image is divided within one frame time in the third embodiment. In the third embodiment shown in Figures 6 and 7, the images f, g, and h do not necessarily need to be displayed simultaneously in the true sense. In human image recognition, for example, if one frame is a 60 Hz gradation representation, one frame time is 16.7 milliseconds. When divided into three RGB colors and displayed sequentially, the maximum display time for each color is 5.56 milliseconds. Furthermore, when displaying this with 256 gradations, a pulse-width modulation method is typically used, resulting in a minimum display time of 21.7 microseconds. In other words, the display time for one frame varies between a minimum of 21.7 microseconds and a maximum of 16.7 milliseconds, and the images are not necessarily displayed simultaneously. However, the human eye perceives the display as a color tone rather than a change in image over time, resulting in a pseudo-simultaneous display. Similar image recognition and display are possible in the present invention. Even if the images f, g, and h are displayed sequentially within one frame time, the human eye's dynamic visual acuity perceives them as pseudo-simultaneous display. In FIG. 8, by displaying one frame time in the order of f, g, and h in the same time frame in chronological order, images at different focal positions can be observed simultaneously.

[0034] Below is a hypothetical example of how the display time is divided. If one frame time is 16.7 milliseconds, the display time for each of images f, g, and h is 5.56 milliseconds. If each image is displayed in three RGB colors, the display time for each color is 1.85 milliseconds, and if we assume that this is a 256-level display, the minimum display time is 7.2 microseconds. As a result, the display time for one frame time for each image can fluctuate between a minimum of 7.2 microseconds and a maximum of 5.56 milliseconds.

[0035] By displaying the images f, g, and h with different focal positions in chronological order, it is possible to display a three-dimensional image that suppresses VR fatigue, which is the objective of this invention, and to solve the "visual fatigue caused by a mismatch between convergence and accommodation." [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 101 Stereoscopic image display device according to this embodiment 102 Light source 103 Reflective mirror 104 Light deflection device 105a, 105b, 105c lenses a, b, c, d Deflection direction of optical deflection device 106 Lens 107a, 107b, 107c Focal position in the eye 108 Pupil 109 Eyeball 201 Stereoscopic image display device fixing material prepared from the head 202 eyeglass frames 203 Eyeglass Lenses 204 HOE (Holographic Optical Element) 301 Two-dimensional array of optical deflection device in the first embodiment 310 Optical deflection element 302 Substrate 303 Electrode A, B, C, D divided electrodes 304 Supporting member 305 Contact area 306 Plate-shaped members 307 Regulatory components 308 Stopper 401 Perspective view of one optical deflection element 501 is a top view in which the plate-like member 306 is drawn semi-transparently in correspondence with a perspective view of one optical deflection element. 601 Schematic diagram of three images formed by one optical deflection device in the third embodiment 602 Incident light f, g, h Three images formed by tilting each optical deflection element according to the image information i Light absorbing plate 701 Schematic diagram of three images f, g, and h superimposed on the same surface

Claims

1. a stereoscopic image display device comprising a light source, a lens, and an optical deflection device, the optical deflection device having a plurality of optical deflection elements, the optical deflection elements being mirror devices tilted in four directions along two common axes, the optical deflection device deflecting light in four directions, reflected light being emitted in four different directions by the optical deflection, the reflected light in two or three of the four directions forming images in respective directions, the images formed in the respective directions being guided to the same plane by a lens, and the images formed in the respective directions having focal points at different positions in the depth of the observer's eyeballs,

2. 2. The stereoscopic image display device according to claim 1, wherein the optical deflection element includes a substrate, a fulcrum member, a plurality of regulating members, a plate-like member, and a plurality of electrodes, the fulcrum member having a top portion and being provided on an upper surface of the substrate, each of the regulating members having a stopper at an upper portion and being provided on an end portion of the plate-like member, the plate-like member having a light-reflecting surface and a conductive portion, and being supported by the fulcrum member when one surface of the plate-like member comes into contact with the top portion, and being movable without having a fixed end within a range determined by the substrate and the regulating member, each of the electrodes being provided on the substrate opposite the conductive portion of the plate-like member, and an electrostatic attraction generated between the conductive portion and the electrode causes the plate-like member to tilt about the top portion as a fulcrum, thereby deflecting light reflected by the light-reflecting surface.

Images